OTTAWA, March 14. /TASS/. The Washington administration is now cautiously optimistic about a recent interaction with Russia about resolving the conflict in Ukraine, and President Donald Trump will soon decide what next steps the United States will make, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"There was what we felt a very positive and productive engagement yesterday with President [Vladimir] Putin and special envoy [Steven] Witkoff," he told a news conference after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. "He [Witkoff] is on his way back. He should be back, and hopefully we'll convene this weekend. We'll examine the Russian position more closely and the president will then determine what the next steps are," Rubio said.
"Suffice it to say, I think there is reason to be cautiously optimistic," he said. "But by the same token, we continue to recognize this is a difficult and complex situation."
Speaking about settlement, he said, "It will not be easy, it will not be simple, but we certainly feel like we're at least some steps closer to ending this war and bringing peace, but it's still a long journey."
Rubio believes that there is "positive momentum" in interacting with Russia about the settlement. "Obviously, we'll see what Russia and others are willing to do. It's not just Russia. Obviously, it has to be things acceptable to Ukraine."
Earlier, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin received Witkoff late on Thursday evening and passed information to Trump with him. The Kremlin representative did not disclose the topics of the conversation between Putin and Witkoff. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 12 that the special envoy is going to Moscow to discuss settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
Witkoff, who previously participated in negotiations with a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia on February 18, arrived in Moscow on Thursday afternoon. According to a TASS source, he left the Russian capital today.